You are a commodity. Thieves buy and sell people’s identities 24 hours a day in fast-paced chat rooms. Dan Clements showed us how the chat rooms work. Clements founded CardCops.com, a company that has infiltrated this Internet underworld to look out for its clients.

“Right now these Internet hackers are here in real time buying and selling your personal information,” Clements said.

Credit card numbers can be purchased for a dollar or less if you buy in bulk. And so-called full profiles, including a Social Security number and mother’s maiden name, are available for just $80. ATM pin numbers and platinum cards cost extra. Clements also showed us a Russian criminal Web site where you can click next to people’s identities and put them in your cart.

“It’s just like you’re shopping online.” Clements said. “It just so happens that they’re selling credit cards.”

‘Pretty Disconcerting’

We found 187 identity thieves in a single chat room, and started sending them instant messages. Somebody named “romantic-time” was the first to bite.

It’s important to speak the identity thieves’ lingo, so ABC News asked, “How much CC?”

“Romantic-time” told us he could sell us 40 “cc”s, or credit card numbers, for $1.50 each.

Ironically, the crooks are obsessed with whether other thieves are going to rip them off. So ABC News played along, asking romantic-time, “Are you a ripper?” And requesting free samples to prove that he had real identities to offer.

Sure enough, in less than five minutes, romantic-time provided five samples — Americans’ names, credit card numbers, addresses and phone numbers. ABC News immediately called the people whose information we received to warn them their accounts were in danger.

“I had no idea. It’s scary,” one person said.

“It’s pretty disconcerting,” another said.

A third person had a similar reaction: “It’s absolutely unbelievable.”

Andy from California was one of the victims. We’re deliberately withholding his last name and hometown, so we won’t put his identity in any more jeopardy. His reaction?

“Shocked,” he said. “A little upset and angry. You don’t know where to go first, what to do about it, who to call.”

It looks like crooks snatched Andy’s information by hacking into a Web site where he shops.

So who are the identity thieves?

“The typical hacker we are pursuing is not your 17-year-old sitting in the basement of his home typing away on his computer,” said Ed Lowery of the U.S. Secret Service. “It is an organized criminal group, usually based in Eastern Europe, and they are going after large-scale financial gains.”

The problem is, the U.S. government doesn’t have jurisdiction over criminals in other countries.

“The hackers know this, and a lot of them are in anti-U.S. countries and they know that, so they blatantly go in these rooms and buy and sell data because they have no fear of U.S. law enforcement,” Clements said.

From ABC NEWS article

After much research, we discovered that most companies that offer assistance to victims of identity theft did not address the inevitable, The Recovery Process.

While “Credit Monitoring” services can be helpful in recognizing you’re a victim, these services do not correct the problem.

Identity Theft Insurance is highly touted, but there is much documentation supporting the fact that this type of insurance only covers a few of the expenses incurred during the recovery process. This insurance does nothing for your losses due to the ID Theft itself. Identity Theft insurance does not recover your identity.

Most of these companies claim to do recovery, but at closer review, one will find that they point their finger in the direction of the FTC, or tell you where to get forms, but you are responsible for the phone calls and completing the forms.

This is why when we started to develop the id guarantee services; we made the commitment to develop the most thorough, efficient, cost effective and easy to use service available. Our partners took over a year to develop our proprietary id recovery software, which handles the following menial tasks:

Provide a custom interface for the ID Recovery Specialist(s) to input key information while interviewing the victim

From its document database of hundreds of forms/letters with more than 5,500 forms rules, identify, completely personalize and organize the appropriate forms and documents, complete with easy to follow instructions into a package called the “ID Recovery Documentation”

Manage all immediate electronic notifications as well as all follow-up hard copy, return receipt notifications

Document the entire recovery process in an easy to follow time stamped journal format.

When someone finds out they are a victim; anger, fear, anxiety, humiliation and depression are common feelings. The last thing you need is to be pointed to a web site. We treat our subscribers with compassion and understanding. We know exactly what to do and what needs to be done first.Don’t become a statistic. Let Entrust America’s ID Recovery provide you with the peace of mind of knowing your identity is protected and backed by the best.

When your identity is stolen you could face hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars trying to “get back” your identity. Credit Repair Shield team can significantly reduce your time and frustration. Our expert “Recovery Specialist” will talk with you, obtain all pertinent information and work to restore your identity to “pre-theft status.”

Your Fully Managed ID Recovery Will Involve 2 Phases to Identity Restorationa

PHASE 1

Victim consults with ID Tection Team. Crisis Management Support is supplied if needed.

Type of identity fraud determined.

Determine nature of fraud.

Identity theft victims rights are explained.

Victim is educated to recovery process.

Input necessary information into our id recovery Software.

Print the ID Recovery Kit which includes all necessary documents based on residence of victim, types of identity theft and number of identity thefts. ID Recovery Kit also includes Limited Power of Attorney that allows ID Tection to act on victim’s behalf. All documents are completely filled out and ready for victim’s notarized signature.

ID Recovery Kit is sent overnight to victim via secured overnight service.

Initiate fraud alerts with all three credit bureaus.

PHASE 2

Victim receives ID Recovery Kit.

Victim notarizes Limited Power of Attorney (LPoA) and other required documents.

Victim by law must have a police report completed in person.

Victim returns completed documents, including executed Limited Power of Attorney (LPOA) via the included return overnight envelope.

After receiving executed Limited Power of Attorney and returned ID Recovery Kit:

Place all necessary electronic and hard copy fraud alerts

To all three credit bureaus

To Social Security Administration (SSA)

To Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

To US Postal Service (USPS)

To state of residence Attorney General’s Office

Research credit history and verify if fraud includes items such as:

Public Records, liens, judgments, bankruptcies

Credit Accounts, New and/or Derogatory
Addresses
Prior Employment

Issue fraud alert to and work with affected financial institutions and credit card companies

Issue fraud victim statements and work with all three bureaus to restore credit accuracy

Whenever a Fraud Issue Warrants

Trace Social Security Number

Notify and work with Department of motor vehicles

Notify and work with creditors who have extended credit due to misuse of victims identifying information

Notify and work with collection agencies of those creditors

Notify and work with Law Enforcement officials

Recommend licensed attorneys where appropriate

In all cases

Update victim

Continue restoration until complete